Entertainer. Criss Angel was born Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos on December 19, 1967, into a Greek-American family. Angel and his two brothers, Costa and J.D., were raised by their parents, John and Dimitra, in East Meadow, New York. Angel says that he learned his diligent work ethic from his father, a fitness junkie who owned a successful restaurant and doughnut shop until he passed away from cancer in 1998.
Angel fell in love with magic at 7, when his Aunt Stella showed him a card trick. "From that day on, I was hooked," Angel remembers. "I felt this incredible sense of power that an adult didn't understand how it worked, but I did." He practiced magic tricks obsessively, and gave his first magic show at the age of 12—at a neighbor's birthday party, for a fee of $10. While attending East Meadow High School, Angel performed frequently at neighborhood restaurants. He was a regular act at a Long Island restaurant called the Wine Gallery, where Angel says his tips "could easily clear a hundred dollars on a good night."
After graduating from high school, Angel decided to forego college to pursue a career in magic full time. His decision to skip college angered his parents. "The thought of my becoming a professional magician was unbearable for them," Angel recalled. "They had hoped their three sons would go to college and become doctors or lawyers—but not a magician!" Despite his parents' objections, Angel hit the road and began touring with other traveling performance acts. In between traveling and performing, Angel attempted to further his education on his own by studying the history of magic in public libraries. He also studied the art of mysticism, music, martial arts, and even dance. "It was a practical education, not a formal one," Angel said.
In 1994, Angel made his prime-time television debut in the ABC one-hour special, Secrets. In 1998, Criss Angel: World of Illusion headlined New York's Madison Square Garden during the city's annual Halloween convention. He performed the same 10-minute show 60 times per day throughout the entire 12-day convention. His performances there landed Angel his next major gig, a permanent show at the World Underground Theater in Times Square. Criss Angel: Mindfreak opened in 2001 and ran for over 600 performances before closing in 2003. During the popular and critically acclaimed show, Angel vanished and reappeared, made doves fly out of his hands, changed a $1 bill into a $10 bill and made audience members appear to levitate.
In 2005, Angel transformed Criss Angel: Mindfreak into an A&E reality TV series. Filmed on the streets of Las Vegas, the show became an instant success, and catapulted Angel into the realm of bona fide celebrities. Some of the show's most infamous stunts include Angel walking on water, splitting a woman in half in a public park, and flying over the Valley of Fire while suspended from a helicopter by his bare skin. One of the most popular shows ever to air on A&E, Criss Angel Mindfreak has run for five seasons.
Criss Angel Mindfreak on A&EPropelled by the popularity of Mindfreak, Angel partnered with Cirque du Soleil to create a new live show, Criss Angel Believe, to run at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. Believe was named after the code word Angel's idol, the legendary magician Harry Houdini, gave his wife to confirm whether anyone had contacted him in the afterlife. The show, which weaves together Angel's illusions and theatrical acrobatics, premiered on the 82nd anniversary of Houdini's death in 2008. Angel added another TV series to his repertoire, when he performed as a judge on NBC's 2007 reality TV series Phenomenon, a show featuring contestants competing to be named the next great mentalist.

Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos (born December 19, 1967), better known by the stage name Criss Angel, is an American magician and illusionist. Angel began his career in New York City, before moving his base of operations to the Las Vegas Valley. He is known for starring in the television and stage show Criss Angel Mindfreak and his live performance illusion show Criss Angel Believe in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil at the Luxor casino in Las Vegas. The show generated $150 million in tourist revenue to Las Vegas in 2010. He also starred in the television series Believe on Spike TV, the television show Phenomenon, and the 2014 stage show Criss Angel Magicjam.

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